8.3 CIFS and Cluster Services

Novell Cluster Services can be configured either during or after OES 2 SP3 installation. In a cluster, Novell CIFS for OES 2 SP3 Linux, is available only in ACTIVE/PASSIVE mode, which means that CIFS software runs on all nodes in the cluster. When a server fails, the cluster volumes that were mounted on the failed server fail over to that other node. The following sections give details about using Novell CIFS in a cluster environment:

8.3.2 Using CIFS in a Cluster Environment

Keep in mind the following considerations when you prepare to use CIFS in a cluster.

Novell CIFS is not cluster-aware and is not clustered by default. You must install and configure Novell CIFS on every node in the cluster where you plan to give users CIFS access to the shared cluster resource.

Novell CIFS runs on all nodes in the cluster at any given time.

Novell CIFS is started at boot time on each node in the cluster. A CIFS command is added to the load script and unload script for the shared cluster resource. This allows Novell CIFS to provide or not to provide access to the shared resource through Virtual server IP.

NOTE:In CIFS, all the nodes should have similar server configuration, such as contexts and authentication mode.

The following process indicates how CIFS is enabled and used in a cluster environment:

Creating a Virtual Server:
When you cluster-enable an NSS pool, an NCS:NCP Server object is created for the virtual server. This contains the virtual server IP address, the virtual server name, and a comment.

Creating a CIFS Virtual Server:
When you cluster-enable an NSS pool and enable that pool for CIFS by selecting CIFS as an advertising protocol, a virtual CIFS server is added to eDirectory. This is the name the CIFS clients use to access the virtual server.

Loading the CIFS Service:
When you enable CIFS for a shared NSS pool and when Novell CIFS is started at system boot, the following line is automatically added to the cluster load script for the pool's cluster resource:

This command is executed when the cluster resource is brought online on an active node. You can view the load script for a cluster resource by using the Clusters plug-in for iManager. Do not manually modify the load script.

Unloading the CIFS Service:
When you CIFS-enable for a shared NSS pool, the following line is automatically added to the cluster unload script for the pool's cluster resource:

This command is executed when the cluster resource is taken offline on a node. The virtual server is no longer bound to the Novell CIFS service on that node. You can view the unload script for a cluster resource by using the Clusters plug-in for iManager. Do not manually modify the unload script.

CIFS Attributes for the Virtual Server:
When you CIFS-enable a shared NSS pool, the following CIFS attributes are added to the NCS:NCP Server object for the virtual server:

nfapCIFSServerName (read access)

nfapCIFSAttach (read access)

nfapCIFSComment (read access)

The CIFS virtual server uses these attributes. The CIFS server proxy user must have default ACL access rights to these attributes, access rights to the virtual server, and be in the same context as the CIFS virtual server.

NOTE:If the CIFS server proxy user is in a different context, the cluster administrator should give access to these virtual server attributes for the proxy user.